Sarah Palin is an “authentic model of feminism” and her vice-presidential candidacy “could well” lead to an historic all-female White House race in 2012 against Hillary Clinton, according to a former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton.

Dick Morris, who was a top aide to Bill Clinton from 1994 to 1996 and has since become a harsh critic of the former president and his wife, said that a John McCain victory in November would make the two women the front-runners for 2012.

“McCain will be 76 in 2012,” he said. “I wonder if he’ll even run for re-election. And Obama has put Joe Biden on the ticket this time. It’s very hard to imagine Biden [who would be 69] running in 2012 with any chance of success, particularly after being drowned out by Palin like he is now.

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“So I think that Hillary would have as easy a shot at the Democratic nomination as she did this time – but she blew it this time. You can’t take these things to the bank.”

The 2008 US presidential election could force a realignment of how women vote, Mr Morris said.

“In Palin, you have an authentic model of feminism and in Hillary you have a counterfeit one.